GROTON — The Groton Business Association will host its monthly meeting at the Zbierski House on Thursday, Aug. 21, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. The Zbierski House is located at Eastern Point Beach in Groton. Admission is free. Come and hear local business updates and enjoy a complimentary breakfast. The association is a division of the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce.

Naval Submarine Base New London will be the site of an Energy Industry Day August 20.

Energy industry day at sub base

GROTON — Naval Submarine Base New London will be the site of an Energy Industry Day on Aug. 20. The event, hosted by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic, is an opportunity for the Navy and industry to exchange information on potential opportunities for industry contribution in meeting critical energy goals at the submarine base.

“The Navy plans to share our ideas and objectives to develop a microgrid on base and to share our goals on incorporating a renewable or alternative energy solution into the concept,” said Cmdr. Brian Lindoerfer, the public works officer for the base.

He added that the event is intended to gather additional information to support market research efforts for upcoming renewable and alternative energy projects.

Lindoerfer said that the engineering command is looking for utility providers, renewable and alternative energy companies, and that any company offers advanced technologies in support of electrical power generation and distribution to sign up for the event.

Companies wanting more information on this event should go to the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website listing for Energy Industry Day at the sub base.

Foxwoods, grandparents group in deal

MASHANTUCKET (AP) — Foxwoods Resort Casino has announced a marketing partnership with a senior citizens group, making a pitch for a major demographic group that gambles and shops at casinos. The Mashantucket Pequot tribal casino says its partnership with Grandparents.com will allow premium members of the website’s membership organization, the American Grandparents Association, to receive a $25 promotional gambling offer when they join Foxwoods’ rewards program,.

Members of the American Grandparents Association who sign up for the Foxwoods Rewards Program will have access to Foxwoods Resort Casino’s online gaming site, foxplay.com. The group seeks to serve those of 50 and older.

DOT training for educators in engineering

The Rhode Island Department of Transportation is inviting local middle and high school teachers to participate in a hands-on transportation and civil engineering training next week. Educators will receive lesson plans, software, and building materials to assist them in teaching engineering disciplines to their students. The training program is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, Aug. 21 and 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the department’s Highway & Bridge Maintenance Headquarters, 360 Lincoln Ave., Warwick.

The TRAC program is designed to encourage career exploration in construction and transportation services. Administered by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the program sessions focus on key aspects of transportation including bridge design, highway safety, city planning, magnetic levitation, design and construction, and motion and traffic technology. The lessons learned in this training can be immediately incorporated into educators’ existing curriculum.

For more information visit www.trac-rides.org. To register for the training, contact TRAC Coordinator Paul Sylvia at 222-3260, Ext. 4513.

R.I. economy still floundering

PROVIDENCE (AP) — A University of Rhode Island professor says the state’s economy had a disappointing performance in June — and so far this year — according to his monthly analysis of econmic data. The professor, Leonard Lardaro, said that only six of 12 indicators he tracks each month in his “Current Conditions Index” improved.

The index level fell to a neutral value of 50, from 67 in May.

For the 11th straight month, the index failed to improve from its value a year earlier. Lardaro says it’s an understatement to call the state’s overall economic performance disappointing this year. He says it’s perplexing the state is continuing to flounder while the national economy is improving. Rhode Island’s unemployment rate was 7.9 percent in June, the lowest since 2008. But that rate was tied for worst in the U.S.

2014 electrical code in effect

The National Fire Protection Association announced last week that the 2014 edition of the National Electrical Code is now effective in 12 states, including Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts and Vermont. An additional 11 states are set to enforce the 2014 edition in the coming months.

The code sets the standard for electrical installation and inspection, and is used as the benchmark for safe electrical installations in all 50 states. The association is a trade group headquartered in Quincy, Mass.

Many new and revised requirements in the code impact residential, commercial and industrial electrical installations. Important changes include expanded arc-fault and ground-fault protection in buildings; new approaches to photovoltaic electric systems that provide greater safety for first responders; and the best available fire and shock protection features for residential electrical systems.